Hay... (There is / There are)
existe o está en algún lugar. ¡Combina el verbo con el sustantivo!
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'There is' for one thing and 'There are' for two or more to say something exists.
- Use 'There is' (or 'There's') for singular nouns: 'There is a cat.'
- Use 'There are' for plural nouns: 'There are two cats.'
- Swap the order for questions: 'Is there a cat?' or 'Are there cats?'
Overview
there is (hay) absolutamente nada para comer excepto un solitario tarro de pepinillos? Usamos estas dos frases cortas, there is y there are, para señalar que algo existe.dedo que señaladel idioma inglés.
there's (hay) una oferta masiva en Steam, estás usando esta regla.How This Grammar Works
I, you, o el repartidor de pizza. Pero, ¿y si solo quieres decir que algo existe?Is a cat on the table. Suena como si fueras un robot quedándose sin batería. Aquí es donde entra there.there no significa allí (el lugar). En cambio, es un sujeto ficticio. Es solo un marcador de posición que mantiene la puerta abierta para que el resto de la frase pueda entrar.There is a coffee on my desk, la palabra coffee es la verdadera estrella. El verbo is o are tiene que coincidir con esa estrella.
Formation Pattern
there (nuestro marcador).
to be (ya sea is o are).
Conjugation Table
| Form | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Positive Singular | There is a cat. |
Hay un gato. |
| Positive Plural | There are two cats. |
Hay dos gatos. |
| Negative Singular | There is not (isn't) a cat. |
No hay un gato. |
| Negative Plural | There are not (aren't) any cats. |
No hay gatos. |
| Question Singular | Is there a cat? |
¿Hay un gato? |
| Question Plural | Are there any cats? |
¿Hay gatos? |
When To Use It
- Describir una foto:
There isun hermoso atardecer en esta foto. - Consultar disponibilidad:
Is there(¿Hay) un Uber disponible ahora mismo? - Informar de problemas: "
There's(Hay) un error en la última actualización." - Hacer planes:
There are(Hay) tres películas en el cine esta noche.
Common Mistakes
It is cuando deberías usar There is. Esto ocurre porque muchos idiomas usan la misma palabra para ambos. Si dices It is a fly in my soup, estás diciendo que la mosca *es* la sopa. Lo cual es asqueroso. Y erróneo. Usa There is para decir que la mosca existe en esa ubicación.Contrast With Similar Patterns
There is frente a It is?- Usa
There ispara presentar algo por primera vez.There isuna nueva cafetería en Main Street. - Usa
It ispara dar más detalles sobre esa cosa.It is(Es) muy cara, pero el café es genial.
Quick FAQ
P: ¿Puedo decir There's para cosas en plural?
R: ¿Al hablar de manera informal? Sí, la gente lo hace todo el tiempo. Pero al escribir, utiliza There are.
Present Simple Existence
| Type | Singular / Uncountable | Plural |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
There is (There's)
|
There are
|
|
Negative
|
There is not (There isn't)
|
There are not (There aren't)
|
|
Question
|
Is there...?
|
Are there...?
|
|
Short Answer (+)
|
Yes, there is.
|
Yes, there are.
|
|
Short Answer (-)
|
No, there isn't.
|
No, there aren't.
|
Common Contractions
| Full Form | Contraction | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
|
There is
|
There's
|
Very common in speech and informal writing.
|
|
There is not
|
There isn't / There's not
|
Both are common; 'isn't' is more standard.
|
|
There are not
|
There aren't
|
Common in speech.
|
|
There are
|
None
|
Native speakers rarely contract 'There are' in writing.
|
Meanings
A grammatical structure used to introduce new information or state that something exists in a particular place.
Singular Existence
Stating that one person, thing, or place exists.
“There is a new student in our class.”
“There's a fly in my soup!”
Plural Existence
Stating that multiple people, things, or places exist.
“There are many books on the shelf.”
“There are three cars in the garage.”
Uncountable Existence
Stating the existence of things we cannot count (liquids, concepts, etc.).
“There is some water on the floor.”
“There is a lot of traffic today.”
Reference Table
| Tipo | Singular (1) | Plural (2+) |
|---|---|---|
|
Afirmativo
|
There is a...
|
There are some...
|
|
Negativo
|
There isn't a...
|
There aren't any...
|
|
Pregunta
|
Is there a...?
|
Are there any...?
|
|
Contracción
|
There's
|
There are (raro There're)
|
|
Respuesta Corta (+)
|
Yes, there is.
|
Yes, there are.
|
|
Respuesta Corta (-)
|
No, there isn't.
|
No, there aren't.
|
Espectro de formalidad
Might I inquire if there is a restroom available? (Travel/Public spaces)
Is there a bathroom here? (Travel/Public spaces)
Is there a toilet? (Travel/Public spaces)
Any loos around? (Travel/Public spaces)
Formas de mostrar Existencia
Singular (1)
- There is a book
- There's a cat
Plural (2+)
- There are two pens
- There aren't any dogs
There Is vs. It Is
¿Is o Are?
¿El sustantivo es singular (1)?
¿El sustantivo es plural (2+)?
Dónde usarlo
Tecnología/Apps
- • There's an update
- • There's no signal
- • Are there new messages?
Vida Social
- • Is there a table?
- • There are many people
- • There's a party
Ejemplos por nivel
There is a cat on the sofa.
There is a cat on the sofa.
There are four chairs in the kitchen.
There are four chairs in the kitchen.
Is there a bank near here?
Is there a bank near here?
There are no apples in the bag.
There are no apples in the bag.
There isn't any milk in the fridge.
There isn't any milk in the fridge.
Are there any messages for me?
Are there any messages for me?
There is a lot of noise outside.
There is a lot of noise outside.
There are some people waiting for you.
There are some people waiting for you.
There was a big storm last night.
There was a big storm last night.
There will be a meeting at 10 AM.
There will be a meeting at 10 AM.
There have been many changes recently.
There have been many changes recently.
Is there going to be a party?
Is there going to be a party?
There seems to be a misunderstanding.
There seems to be a misunderstanding.
There is likely to be some opposition to the new law.
There is likely to be some opposition to the new law.
There happened to be a doctor on the plane.
There happened to be a doctor on the plane.
There is no point in arguing about it.
There is no point in arguing about it.
There remains much to be done before we can launch.
There remains much to be done before we can launch.
There exists a fine line between genius and madness.
There exists a fine line between genius and madness.
There followed a period of great economic growth.
There followed a period of great economic growth.
There arose a sudden shout from the crowd.
There arose a sudden shout from the crowd.
Should there be any further delays, please notify us immediately.
Should there be any further delays, please notify us immediately.
There is said to be a hidden treasure in these mountains.
There is said to be a hidden treasure in these mountains.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
Were there to be a crisis, we would be well-prepared.
Were there to be a crisis, we would be well-prepared.
Fácil de confundir
Learners use 'It is' to introduce things because their native language uses one word for both.
Learners use 'have' to say something exists in a place.
The words sound similar, leading to spelling and usage errors.
Errores comunes
It is a book on the table.
There is a book on the table.
There is two dogs.
There are two dogs.
There is a park near here?
Is there a park near here?
There are some milks.
There is some milk.
There aren't some chairs.
There aren't any chairs.
There is many people.
There are many people.
Is there any apples?
Are there any apples?
There have many problems.
There are many problems.
There was many people at the party.
There were many people at the party.
There remains many questions.
There remain many questions.
Patrones de oraciones
There is a ___ in the ___.
There are some ___ on the ___.
Is there a ___ near here?
There isn't any ___ left.
Real World Usage
Is there a safe in the room?
Are there any nuts in this salad?
There are several skills I can bring to this role.
There's a cool party tonight, you coming?
There is a leak in the bathroom ceiling.
There are so many beautiful places in this city! 😍
¡Cuidado con "It Is"!
It is a cat in the gardensi quieres decir que 'hay' un gato. Usa
It is solo para describir algo (It is black) o el clima (It is raining).El Secreto de las Listas
There is a book and five pens.
Habla Casual (¡Ojo!)
para todo, ¡incluso para cosas plurales! No es 100% correcto, pero es super común.There's two apples left."
Smart Tips
Use 'There is' for the furniture and 'It is' for the color.
Always look at the very first word after 'There'. If it's singular, use 'is'.
Start with 'Is there...?' to be more polite.
Always use 'are'. 'People' is the most common plural noun that doesn't end in 's'.
Pronunciación
The 'There's' Contraction
In the contraction 'There's', the 's' sounds like a /z/ sound.
Linking 'There are'
When saying 'There are', the 'r' in 'there' links to the 'a' in 'are'.
Rising Intonation for Questions
Is there a ↗️ bank?
Indicates a yes/no question.
Memorízalo
Mnemotecnia
IS is for ONE (I is like the number 1). ARE is for MANY.
Asociación visual
Imagine pointing your finger at one object and saying 'There is...'. Then imagine opening both arms wide to point at many objects and saying 'There are...'.
Rhyme
One thing here? There is a cat. Two things there? There are two hats.
Story
You walk into a dark room. You turn on the light. First, you see one thing: 'There is a box.' Then you look inside: 'There are five gold coins!' You are rich!
Word Web
Desafío
Look around your room right now. Say 3 sentences using 'There is' and 3 sentences using 'There are' out loud.
Notas culturales
Native speakers often use 'There's' even for plural nouns in very casual speech (e.g., 'There's two cars'). However, this is considered grammatically incorrect in exams and formal writing.
In the UK, it is very common to use 'There is' with collective nouns like 'team' or 'staff', but sometimes they use 'There are' if they think of the members as individuals.
In some dialects, you might hear 'There's' used for almost everything, or even 'It's' used in place of 'There's'.
The use of 'there' as a dummy subject dates back to Old English, where 'þær' was used to introduce sentences.
Inicios de conversación
Is there a good restaurant in your neighborhood?
Are there any famous landmarks in your city?
Is there anything interesting in your bag right now?
If you could change your city, what is one thing there should be more of?
Temas para diario
Errores comunes
Test Yourself
There ___ a huge balcony with a city view!
There ___ only two vegetarian options on the menu.
You call a hotel and ask:
Find and fix the mistake:
Hi, there is some problems with the heating in my apartment.
There ___ a great coffee shop right around the corner.
Talking about your hometown:
Score: /6
Ejercicios de practica
8 exercisesThere ___ a big window in the office.
There ___ many people at the bus stop.
Is there ___ any milk in the fridge?
Find and fix the mistake:
There are a cat on the roof.
any / there / Are / eggs / ?
Match the start to the end.
Hay tres manzanas.
There ___ any cars in the park.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
8 exercises____ there any sugar in this tea?
no / there / milk / is / left
Hay muchos coches en la calle.
Match correctly:
Choose the negative sentence:
There are a bug in the app.
____ there any questions?
Choose the most common spoken form:
Score: /8
Preguntas frecuentes (8)
In very casual speech, native speakers often do this (e.g., 'There's two dogs'). However, in exams and formal writing, you must use 'There are'.
Use `There is` to introduce something for the first time. Use `It is` to describe that thing later. Example: 'There is a bird. It is blue.'
Usually, we look at the first item. If the first item is singular, we use `There is`. Example: 'There is a bed and two chairs.'
Just swap the words: `Is there...?` or `Are there...?` and add a question mark at the end.
Uncountable nouns always use the singular form: `There is some water.`
Yes! Both are correct. `There are no apples` is slightly more emphatic than `There aren't any apples`.
It is a contraction of 'There are', but it is very rare in writing because it is hard to say. It's better to write 'There are'.
Because it doesn't have a real meaning in the sentence; it just fills the subject position so the real subject can come after the verb.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Hay
English changes the verb for plural (is vs are), Spanish does not.
Il y a
French is a fixed phrase; English must agree with the noun's number.
Es gibt
German uses the verb 'give' and the accusative case; English uses 'be' and the nominative.
Arimasu / Imasu
Japanese focuses on whether the subject is alive; English focuses on whether it is singular or plural.
Hunaka (هناك)
English requires the verb 'is' or 'are', while Arabic often omits it in the present.
Yǒu (有)
English strictly separates possession (have) from existence (there is).
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Videos relacionados
Related Grammar Rules
Presente Perfecto: EE. UU. vs. Reino Unido (I've done vs. I did)
Overview ¿Alguna vez has sentido que tu libro de inglés te mentía? Aprendes una regla y luego un vlogger de California...
Phrasal Verbs: An Introduction (Turn On, Give Up, Look After)
## Phrasal Verbs: An Introduction A **phrasal verb** = verb + particle (up, on, off, out, in, away...) The combination...
Experiencias de Vida: Presente Perfecto con Ever y Never
### Overview Dominar el `Present Perfect` con los adverbios `ever` y `never` es como obtener una llave maestra para hab...
Futuro Continuo (will be -ing)
### Overview El **Future Continuous** (también llamado *Future Progressive*) es un tiempo verbal que nos permite proyec...
Presente Perfecto en Inglés: Conectando el Pasado con el Presente (Formación Básica)
Overview ¿Alguna vez has entrado a una habitación y olvidado por completo por qué fuiste allí? A todos nos ha pasado. Es...
